*The Good*
Massimo. Very tasty italian food at good prices. The restaurant decor is a hodge-podge mix of styles and so bizarre that it is almost hip, but you get to ignore the surroundings and the chaos with people and staff coming and going when you get the food. We had a variety of dishes from pizza to linguini with crab and all of it was delicious and in generous quantities. The meal was finished off with the restaurant's own delicious gelato. If you are staying in Sanur, this place is worth a try.
Gateway of India. Across the road from Massimo and a close second to it in terms of food quality and price. We always try to have at least one meal here and it never disappoints. My only complaint would be that the serves could be a little larger, but the food is well prepared, well priced and authentic. It's always a good sign when you see Indian families eating at an Indian restaurants.
Arena. At the other end of Sanur on the bypass road. It's got a poor review from an expat on trip advisor recently, but you never know whether an expat review is genuinely about the food and not the result of some personal falling out. We had surf and turf and each of us asked for the meat to be done in a slightly different way, and the results were pretty good. The surf part of the meal was a goodly portion of prawns, a little tough, but tasty. Great value for money and a popular place for families and kids.
Telaga Naga. Forget the reports about this being the best Chinese restaurant in Bali. It isn't. The food is ok and in copious quantities, but it is pretty pedestrian stuff. I include it in my 'best' list only because the soup and wonton entrees were delicious. This is part of the Bali Hyatt but accessible on Jl Danau Tamblingan. The decor is pleasant (make sure you get under a fan because it can be hot and sticky) and the prices quite high (like the other Hyatt restaurants).
Luhtu's. Luhtu's Cafe is a little gem, on the beach path in Sanur near the entrance to the Sindhu Beach Market. It was recommended to us by an Australian expat we met over a foot massage (Hi Janice, if you are reading this!) and she was absolutely right to say it served the best coffee in Bali. The barista says he was trained at one of the Nusa Dua hotels and he certainly produced some delicious coffee with the most spectacular designs. We only had spring rolls with the coffee and they were great. Others say the home-made cakes are to die for but we didn't get around to sampling any. If you're going for a stroll along Sanur Beach, allow yourself time to stop here for a break where you can not only enjoy good coffee but watch the passing parade, including the 'capture' of tourists by the Sindhu Market ladies. By the way, for those who are interested, Sarina is still operating in the Sindhu market, a little grey-haired but with the same enthusiasm and Australianisms. One of the other stall-holders complained to us that she chattered like a bird, which was not becoming in a woman of 'her age' (about 50 I'd guess). A case of jealousy, I'd say, as she seems still to do a lot of business.
*The Bad*
We were very disappointed with many of the beachside restaurants in Sanur. Most of them serve pretty bland food and the prices seem to have risen in recent years. We tried the Bamboo, Bobbies and a couple of others whose names I have forgotten because they were not at all memorable. We found much better food at reasonable prices out on the Sanur streets.
Cafe Batu Jimbar. Only on my list because the beef rendang made me violently ill the next day. My dining companions enjoyed their food and even went back again, so mine may have been a unique experience. Maybe I'll give it another try on the next trip, but not for beef rendang.
Stars Cafe. This has gone down badly in both food and service. We used to eat here regularly, particularly for breakfast, but our one dinner here on this trip was truly disappointing. The food was tasteless and the service was very slack. A woman at the table behind us complained loudly about the toughness of her steak but didn't receive much sympathy from the staff. Mind you, she did sound pretty drunk so that might explain it! There was a sign outside the place advertising for a waitperson, so I hope they recruit a good one. (The staff weren't so much incompetent as indifferent, seemingly more interested in standing around in groups exchanging gossip rather than keeping an eye on customers.) Stars is on Jl Danau Tamblingan, near the Peneeda View hotel.
Cinnamon. Also on Jl Danau Tamblingan and close to the Ducks Nutz (we took a peek into the latter and were put off by the row of cougars propping up the bar and a rather fat-bellied bogan holding forth to all who were there). I think this is part of a group of restaurants with the same name in Australia and Thailand, but the staff didn't seem to know much about it. The meal was very average. One of us ordered what they called a seafood laksa and it certainly wasn't that. Prices not too bad and service ok but not a memorable experience. Except for the pregnant waitresses that is. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant where three of the waitresses were pregant. Unfortunately one of the poor lasses slipped over and came down hard on her bottom. Fortunately she was tended by some of the customers, one of whom seemed to have medical training, and continued to laugh throughout her ordeal, as did all the other staff (it is the Balinese way to laugh at misfortune). Her husband was called to fetch her and took her away on, you guessed it, a motor bike!
*The Ugly*
Komilfo. On the beach next to the Hyatt. Words fail me in trying to describe this joint, which seems to be a gathering place for European expats. Some people seems to like it but I would never eat there again. Poor food and extremely poor service. Others may have had a different experience there but I would avoid it like the plague.